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Fantastic Four Vol 1 238
** ** ** ** Supporting Characters: * Antagonists: * Other Characters: * * * Sam * Races and Species: * Locations: * ** *** **** ***** ****** Midtown ******* ******** ****** Frankie Raye's Apartment *** **** Items: * Vehicles: * | Writer2_1 = | Penciler2_1 = John Byrne | Inker2_1 = John Byrne | Colourist2_1 = | Letterer2_1 = | Editor2_1 = Jim Salicrup | Editor2_2 = Lance Tooks | StoryTitle2 = A Marvel Masterwork Pin-Up | Synopsis2 = A one page pin-up of Sue Storm (with her much debated new hair-do!) | Appearing2 = Featured Character: * Supporting Characters: * Antagonists: * Other Characters: * Races and Species: * Locations: * Items: * Vehicles: * | Writer3_1 = John Byrne | Penciler3_1 = John Byrne | Inker3_1 = Terry Austin | Colourist3_1 = Bob Sharen | Letterer3_1 = Joe Rosen | Editor3_1 = Jim Salicrup | Editor3_2 = Lance Tooks | StoryTitle3 = The More Things Change... | Synopsis3 = Sue and Franklin pay a visit to Reed in his lab, just as Richards is putting the finishing touches on a new robot nanny for Franklin. Reed hopes that the robot can not only keep an eye on their son's needs while they are away, but also keep tabs on the boys emerging mutant powers. When Ben and Alicia return to the Baxter Building, Ben mistakes this new robot as the formerly deranged HERBIE and tries to smash it. Reed stops the Thing and assures him that this robot lacks the personality programming that caused HERBIE to turn on them in the first place. Telling Ben that he has a surprise, Reed shows the Thing his latest invention that he hopes will cure the Thing forever. Reed tells Ben that this will be a permanent transformation that cannot be reversed. Initially, Ben has his reservations, citing all the times that Reed had failed at curing him in the past. Those gathered are unaware that Ben secretly harbors doubts that Alicia actually loves the Thing, and that if he were cured she might leave him. After some convincing, Ben agrees to undergo the transformation and at first it seems to work as Ben is reverted back to his human form. Suddenly the machine begins to short circuit and then explodes. As the smoke begins to clear, Reed is shocked to see that instead of being restored to normal, Ben has been reverted back to the leathery skinned form that he had during the early days of the Fantastic Four. | Appearing3 = Featured Characters: * ** ** ** Supporting Characters: * * * Antagonists: * Other Characters: * Races and Species: * Locations: * ** *** **** ***** ****** Midtown ******* ******** Items: * Vehicles: * | Notes = Continuity Notes The Lady Is For Burning! * Phineas Horton is the creator of the original Human Torch, an android crime fighter from the 1940s as seen in . Here are some facts about him in this story: ** The appearance of Phineas Horton in this story occurs after the flashback in where Horton created his Gremlin for the military. His next chronological appearance is in the flashback in when the robot Ultron forced Horton to help him rebuild the Human Torch into the Vision, a job that ended in his death. ** The events of this flashback happen around the events of . ** As the Sliding Timescale moves forward, it will become increasingly difficult to explain how Horton could still appear to be at least somewhat vital in the modern era. As of yet, Marvel has not provided an explanation. ** At this time Horton believes that the Human Torch android is dead. As per , the original Torch's body grew unstable and exploded over the Nevada desert in 1955 and he was believed to have died. However he was recovered and revived in the modern age by the Mad Thinker in * The panel of Reed examining Sue's invisibility powers is using the same equipment he used the last time he examined her powers in such a fashion back in . * The two doctors in this story are revealed to be Ben's uncle John and aunt Petunia . John last chronological appearance was in the flashback from when he took Ben in after his parents died. Although this is Petunia's first appearance, she has constantly been referenced by Ben since . * Following the events of this story, the members of the Fantastic Four next appear in where they assist the Spaceknight Rom in his quest to get back into outer space. The More Things Change... * The members of the Fantastic Four appear here following the events of when they assist Ral Dorn become the Dragon Master. * Reed and Sue have been concerned about Franklin's mutant powers since they resurfaced in . * Alicia appears here following her last cameo appearance in . * The unnamed robot is identified as H.U.B.E.R.T. in . * The Thing mistakes HUBERT for H.E.R.B.I.E., a similar robot built by Reed in . As revealed in the robot's programming was tainted by the mind of the evil genius known as Doctor Sun, causing the robot to try and kill the Fantastic Four until he was destroyed in that very issue. * The Thing's reversion is to the appearance he had when he first mutated back in . Ben maintained a more dinosaur-like appearance early on, but slowly evolved, starting in , into the rock-like form that he is most commonly known for by around . Although Reed maintains that this transformation is permanent, Ben actually gets returned to his more common rock-like form by Franklin in . Publication Notes * Starting with this issue, the cover price increases from 50 cents to 60 cents. * Cover art: cover design by Salicrup (credit from letters page in . * This issue contains a letters page, Fantastic Four Fan Page. Letters are published from Brett Kelley, A. Anthony White, Richmond L. Garner, John A. Wilcox, Kevin C. McConnell, Mike R. Weseinak, Joe Caberra, Kirk Moore, Paul Munz, Stu Krull, Ben Bundens, John Zuber, Jr., Peter Ivanick, Brenda Robnett, and Rick S. Jones. | Trivia = * The blurb from this cover Doctor Doom does not appear... has been a running gag at Marvel Comics as early as this issue in the early 1960's. | Recommended = | Links = }}